Written Answers Thursday 12 July 2007

Scottish Executive

Air Services

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give a commitment to continuing the Air Route Development Fund in light of the impact that it has had on the Ayrshire economy through supporting more flights via Prestwick International Airport.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Executive recognises that improved direct air connections can make accessing Scotland easier and more attractive for business, investment and inbound tourism. We therefore intend to promote and encourage the maintenance and expansion of Scotland’s international air connections which avoid the need for travellers to use connecting flights and reduce reliance on UK internal flights.

Community Safety

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it believes that the installation of CCTV in town centres can help reduce crime and antisocial behaviour.

Fergus Ewing: We are currently conducting a survey of public space CCTV in Scotland to ascertain the role that CCTV plays in helping to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour.

Community Safety

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it provides any funding for the installation of CCTV in town centres and, if not, whether it will do so.

Fergus Ewing: In 2007-08, £4 million is available under the Community Safety Partnership Award Programme to local authority-led Community Safety Partnerships to assist them in identifying and addressing local community safety priorities, including CCTV. Other funding streams, such as quality of life funding, can also be used to fund local CCTV systems.

Community Safety

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider introducing funding to communities that wish to become neighbourhood watch areas to assist with their start-up costs.

Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Executive currently provides funding towards the core running costs of the Association of Scottish Neighbourhood Watches. However, there are no current plans to introduce funding to communities that wish to become neighbourhood watch areas.

  Communities who wish to establish a new neighbourhood watch scheme should continue to register with the Association of Scottish Neighbourhood Watches at http://www.aosnw.co.uk. In addition, local community police officers will be able to provide advice and information on setting up a scheme.

Concessionary Travel

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers it acceptable that bus operators can choose to provide services on only the most profitable routes without being required also to serve communities in most social need.

Stewart Stevenson: The provision of local bus services is a matter for bus operators and local transport authorities working together to meet the needs of local communities. Beyond the commercial decisions of individual operators, it is the responsibility of the relevant transport authority to identify where there is a need for socially necessary bus services, consider how these needs might best be met and to subsidise these at its discretion.

  The Scottish Executive provides funding to local authorities through Grant Aided Expenditure arrangements to support socially necessary bus services. In 2007-08 this amounts to £29.1 million for all local authority areas.

Concessionary Travel

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers it acceptable that bus operators receive public funding through schemes such as free concessionary bus travel for older people and disabled people but are under no obligation to provide bus services to the communities most likely to benefit from such schemes.

Stewart Stevenson: Concessionary travel funding provides reimbursement to bus operators to ensure that they are no better and no worse off as a result of their participation in the scheme to deliver free bus services for older and disabled people.

  The provision of local bus services is a matter for bus operators and local transport authorities working together to meet the needs of local communities. Beyond the commercial decisions of individual operators, it is the responsibility of the relevant transport authority to identify where there is a need for socially necessary bus services, consider how those needs might be met and to subsidise these at its discretion.

  The Scottish Executive provides funding to local authorities through Grant Aided Expenditure arrangements to support socially necessary bus services. In 2007-08 this amounts to £29.1 million for all local authority areas.

Council Tax

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the revenue cost of providing annual council tax discounts for pensioner households of (a) £100, (b) £200, (c) £250, (d) £400, (e) £500, (f) £750 and (g) £1,000.

John Swinney: Estimated costs for 2007-08, based on full collection rates, are contained in the following table:

  

Discount
Estimated Revenue Cost
  (£ Million)


£100
62.6


£200
125.2


£250
156.4


£400
250.3


£500
312.9


£750²
439.4


£1,000²
506.4



  Notes:

  1. Estimates are derived from Family Resources Survey (FRS) data applied to a count of the number of properties in each council tax band. The FRS data relate to males 65+/ females 60+. Households with one pensioner and one non- pensioner adult are not included.

  2. A discount of £750 would exceed council tax bills for single adult homes in bands A and B. Similarly a discount of £1,000 would exceed council tax bills for single adults in bands A to D and exceeds the full council tax bill for bands A and B. Where the discount exceeds the current council tax bill, it is assumed that the council tax bill will be zero.

Dairy Industry

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to help dairy farmers.

Richard Lochhead: We share the concerns of those worried about the level of returns being made by some milk producers. Although we cannot intervene in the market, we are pleased to note that many dairy farmers are now receiving increased prices as a result of changing market conditions.

  Since 2000, the dairy sector has received assistance totalling almost £7 million from the Processing and Marketing Grant Scheme administered by the Scottish Executive.

  Dairy producers benefit from support from the Single Farm Payment which was introduced following Common Agricultural Policy reform in 2003.

Drug Misuse

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were arrested for drug driving offences in the Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary area in each of the last five years for which information is available.

Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-29652 on 21 November 2006. The Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary area is coterminous with the Dumfries and Galloway local authority area.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Employment

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many and what percentage of people were long-term unemployed in each local authority ward in Dumfries and Galloway on the most recent date for which figures are available.

John Swinney: The Claimant Count gives the number of people claiming unemployment related benefits and is produced by the Office for National Statistics.

  The following table shows the number of long-term unemployed people claiming unemployment related benefits in each council ward in Dumfries and Galloway and also the long-term unemployed as a proportion of the resident working-age population and as a proportion of total unemployment in each ward.

  Long-term unemployed are defined as those claiming unemployment related benefits for over 12 months. The latest data available are for May 2007.

  Table 1: Claimant Count Unemployment for Wards in Dumfries and Galloway, May 2007

  

Ward
Number of Long-Term Unemployed
% of Resident Working age Population who are Long-Term Unemployed
Long-Term Unemployed as % of Total Unemployment


Annan Central
5
0.3%
10.0%


Annan East
5
0.4%
7.7%


Annan West
5
0.3%
9.4%


Caerlaverock
5
0.3%
20.8%


Cairn Valley
*
*
*


Canonbie and Kirtle
5
0.2%
21.7%


Castle Douglas - Dee
10
0.5%
21.3%


Castle Douglas - Urr
5
0.2%
17.9%


Chapelcross
5
0.2%
14.3%


Cree
5
0.3%
14.7%


Criffel
5
0.2%
14.3%


Dalbeattie - Craignair
10
0.5%
22.7%


Dalbeattie - Milton
10
0.4%
26.3%


Dryfe and Lockerbie East
10
0.4%
25.0%


Georgetown
*
*
*


Heathhall
5
0.1%
19.2%


Hoddom and Kinmount
5
0.4%
16.1%


Kirkconnel
15
1.0%
17.9%


Kirkcudbright - Bengairn
5
0.3%
13.5%


Kirkcudbright - Tarff
5
0.3%
14.3%


Langholm and Upper Eskdale
5
0.4%
17.2%


Lincluden
15
0.7%
16.1%


Lochar
5
0.3%
13.5%


Lochmaben
5
0.2%
18.5%


Lochside
25
1.2%
18.8%


Lochvale
*
*
*


Lockerbie and Upper Annandale
5
0.5%
17.2%


Loreburn
20
1.0%
17.1%


Luce
*
*
*


Marchmount
10
0.5%
17.9%


Maxwelltown
5
0.3%
11.6%


Mid Nithsdale
5
0.3%
22.7%


Moffat
5
0.2%
31.3%


Nithsdale East
5
0.3%
19.2%


Palmerston
15
0.7%
18.3%


Rhins North
5
0.2%
16.7%


Rhins South
10
0.4%
26.3%


Sanquhar and District
10
0.5%
22.7%


Solway Border
5
0.2%
15.6%


Stewartry North
5
0.2%
15.2%


Stewartry West
*
*
*


Stranraer East
10
0.6%
30.3%


Stranraer North
25
1.2%
17.7%


Stranraer South
5
0.2%
16.7%


Troqueer
10
0.5%
23.3%


Whithorn
5
0.2%
12.8%


Wigtown
10
0.5%
29.4%


Dumfries and Galloway
330
0.4%
16.0%



  Source: Office for National Statistics

  Notes:

  1. Long-term unemployed defined as those claiming for over 12 months.

  2. Data on number of long-term unemployed rounded to the nearest five.

  3. *Data suppressed due to small numbers.

  4. Proportions calculated on unrounded data.

Employment

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many and what percentage of people were long-term unemployed in each local authority area in the South of Scotland parliamentary region on the most recent date for which figures are available.

John Swinney: The Claimant Count gives the number of people claiming unemployment related benefits and is produced by the Office for National Statistics.

  The following table shows the number of long-term unemployed people claiming unemployment related benefits in each local authority area in the South of Scotland parliamentary region and also the long-term unemployed as a proportion of the resident working-age population and as a proportion of total unemployment in each local authority.

  Long-term unemployed are defined as those claiming unemployment related benefits for over 12 months. The latest data available are for May 2007.

  Table 1: Claimant Count Unemployment for Local Authorities in the South of Scotland Parliamentary Region, May 2007

  

Local Authority
Number of Long-Term Unemployed
% of Resident Working Age Population who are Long-Term Unemployed
Long-Term Unemployed as % of Total Unemployment


Dumfries and Galloway
330
0.4%
16.0%


Scottish Borders
110
0.2%
12.4%


South Ayrshire
300
0.5%
16.3%


East Ayrshire *
525
0.7%
19.9%


East Lothian *
65
0.1%
9.3%


Midlothian *
90
0.2%
11.2%


North Ayrshire *
565
0.7%
17.0%


South Lanarkshire *
510
0.3%
12.2%


All **
2,495
0.4%
15.2%



  Source: Office for National Statistics.

  Notes:

  1. Long-term unemployed defined as those claiming for over 12 months.

  2. Data on number of long-term unemployed rounded to the nearest five.

  3. *Only part of the local authority located in the South of Scotland parliamentary region but the data are for the full local authority area.

  4. **The figure for ALL is a total of the local authorities in the table. It does not provide an estimate for the South of Scotland parliamentary region.

Employment

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many and what percentage of people were long-term unemployed in Scotland on the most recent date for which figures are available.

John Swinney: The Claimant Count gives the number of people claiming unemployment related benefits and is produced by the Office for National Statistics.

  The following table shows the number of long-term unemployed people claiming unemployment related benefits in Scotland and also the long-term unemployed as a proportion of the resident working-age population and as a proportion of total unemployment in Scotland.

  Long-term unemployed are defined as those claiming unemployment related benefits for over 12 months. The latest data available are for May 2007.

  Table 1: Claimant Count Unemployment, Scotland, May 2007

  

 
Number of Long-Term Unemployed
% of Resident Working Age Population
who are Long-Term Unemployed
Long-Term Unemployed as
% of Total Unemployment


Scotland
12,490
0.4%
15.7%



  Source: Office for National Statistics.

  Notes:

  1. Long-term unemployed defined as those claiming for over 12 months.

  2. Data on number of long-term unemployed rounded to the nearest five.

Employment

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are unemployed in South Lanarkshire, broken down by council ward.

John Swinney: The Claimant Count gives the number of people claiming unemployment related benefits and is produced by the Office for National Statistics.

  The following table shows the number of unemployed people claiming unemployment related benefits in each ward in South Lanarkshire. The latest data available are for May 2007.

  Table 1: Claimant Count Unemployment for Wards in South Lanarkshire, May 2007

  

Ward
Total Claimants


Avondale North
25


Avondale South
39


Bankhead
61


Biggar/Symington and Black Mount
20


Blacklaw
33


Blackwood
71


Blantyre West
38


Bothwell South
27


Burgh
106


Burnbank/Blantyre
162


Cadzow
78


Cairns
61


Calderglen
45


Cambuslang Central
88


Carluke/Crawforddyke
48


Carluke/Whitehill
58


Carstairs/Carnwath
56


Cathkin/Springhall
79


Clyde Valley
43


Coatshill/Low Blantyre
91


Dalserf
63


Douglas
78


Duncanrig
68


Duneaton/Carmichael
18


Earnock
46


East Mains
61


Eastfield
50


Fernhill
62


Forth
71


Greenhills
68


Hairmyres/Crosshouse
50


Hallside
83


Hamilton Centre North
67


Hamilton Centre/Ferniegair
57


Headhouse
76


Heatheryknowe
62


High Blantyre
73


Hillhouse
120


Kirkhill/Whitlawburn
106


Lanark North
51


Lanark South
71


Larkhall East
75


Larkhall South
69


Larkhall West
55


Law/Carluke
51


Lesmahagow
72


Lindsay
41


Long Calderwood
86


Low Waters
87


Maxwellton
48


Morrishall
49


Mossneuk/Kittoch
24


Rutherglen West
102


Silvertonhill
40


Spittal/Blairbeth
52


Stewartfield
30


Stonehouse
45


Stonelaw
33


Uddingston
46


Uddingston South/Bothwell
32


Udston
88


Wellhall/Earnock
104


West Mains
47


Westwoodhill
53


Whitehill
121


Whitehills
62


Woodhead/Meikle Earnock
99


South Lanarkshire
4,241



  Source: Office for National Statistics.

Fire Service

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reduce the number of fire brigade control rooms.

Fergus Ewing: Following an analysis of responses to an earlier consultation exercise in respect of the future of fire control rooms, the Minister for Justice of the previous Executive announced on 1 June 2006 that the matter should be further considered as part of a wider review of Scotland’s preparedness to deal with simultaneous major emergencies. The emergency preparedness review team has completed its report which is being considered by ministers.

Fire Service

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-879 by Fergus Ewing on 21 June 2007, whether it would expect to be made aware of any incidents where fire crews have been hampered in their responses to a fire because of vandalised fire hydrants.

Fergus Ewing: Yes, guidance in the form of Dear Firemaster Letter 7/1999 (as amended), was issued to fire authorities requesting that incidents of special interest be reported to HM Fire Service Inspectorate. Operational delay due to a vandalised hydrant would fall within the reporting category of "operational difficulties".

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much is paid annually by the NHS to (a) pharmacists, (b) GPs and (c) non-salaried dentists.

Nicola Sturgeon: Expenditure on NHS community pharmacy and NHS non-salaried dentists is available on the website, at the following addresses.

  Community pharmacy – up to financial year 2006-07: http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/info3.jsp?pContentID=2239&p_applic=CCC&p_service=Content.show&.

  Non-salaried dentists: Scottish Dental Practice Board Annual Reports 2005-06, Chapter 8, summary information, table 8.1. Reports for previous years are also available http://www.sdpb.scot.nhs.uk/.

  Expenditure on NHS GP services in 2005-06 was £696 million.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many operations paid for by the NHS have taken place in the private sector in each year since 1999.

Nicola Sturgeon: Reliable information on the number of NHS patients treated in private hospitals is not available centrally. However, the Information and Statistics Division of NHS National Services Scotland is working with the Scottish Government, NHS boards, and the independent health care sector to resolve this issue, and data collection is improving.

Housing

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to tighten planning rules to ensure that at least 25% of new housing developments are affordable homes.

Stewart Stevenson: Planning Advice Note 74 on affordable housing advises planning authorities that a benchmark of 25% of new housing development should be allocated for affordable housing provision where a need has been established. The PAN was introduced in 2005 and its effects will take time to be delivered through the planning system. Monitoring arrangements are currently being put in place to assess the impact of these policies the outcomes of which will help inform any decision to revisit planning guidance on housing. The current review of Scottish Planning Policy 3 on Housing provides an opportunity to consider strengthening planning guidance to support release of land for housing.

Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cabinet Secretary for Justice will meet the chairpersons of local licensing boards to discuss the implementation of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005.

Kenny MacAskill: I look forward to meeting the chairpersons of licensing boards and the police to discuss their key role in implementing the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 soon. As the implementation of the act progresses, we will continue to work with licensing boards and other stakeholders. A further progress report was issued to stakeholders on 26 June.

Livestock

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to help beef farmers.

Richard Lochhead: We want to support beef producers by helping them compete successfully in the market. In the last five years, the beef processing sector has received grants of almost £6.7 million under the Processing and Marketing Scheme and around £2.5 million under the Marketing Development Scheme.

  Quality Meat Scotland has a key role to play in developing and promoting the red meat industry. Beef producers may also receive Single Farm Payment, Less Favoured Area Support Scheme funding and payments under the Scottish Beef Calf Scheme (which has paid over £37 million to specialist beef producers in its first two years).

NHS Finance

Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the NHSScotland Resource Allocation Committee submitted its recommendations for improvements to the Arbuthnott Formula in June 2007 and when the Executive plans to make the committee’s recommendations public and announce its response to them.

Nicola Sturgeon: Following a slight delay to their timetable, the NHSScotland Resource Allocation Committee (NRAC) have advised that they intend to submit their report to me in August 2007.

NHS Hospitals

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation will take place with the public and health officials in Clydesdale on the future shape of health services in Lanarkshire following the decision to retain full accident and emergency services at Monklands Hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: I expect NHS Lanarkshire to take account of the views of local clinicians and staff in revising the service proposals which will then be subject to independent scrutiny.

  I will look to the Independent Scrutiny Panel to ensure that the views of local people are taken into account before the revised proposals come to me for a final decision.

NHS Hospitals

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the new State Hospital to be completed.

Nicola Sturgeon: The redevelopment of the State Hospital is expected to be completed by mid 2011.

  Patient, staff and public safety will remain a priority throughout all stages to completion.

NHS Hospitals

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in the interests of openness and transparency, the independent review panel to be established to review the plans of NHS Lanarkshire following the ministerial directive to retain accident and emergency services at Monklands Hospital will be allowed to make assessments on the same basis and using the same criteria as the original decisions detailed in A Picture of Health.

Nicola Sturgeon: I will look to the Independent Scrutiny Panel to assess the safety, sustainability, evidence-base and value for money of the revised proposals, and to be satisfied that account has been taken of local views.

  It will be for the Independent Scrutiny Panel to decide how it goes about this work, within its terms of reference.

Nursing

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the drop-out rates were for student nurses in each of the last eight years, broken down by nursing school.

Nicola Sturgeon: The following table sets out the attrition rates for students undertaking pre-registration nursing and midwifery programmes in the academic years since 2000-01, the first year for which information was broken down by institution.

  

 
2000-01 Cohort
%Attrition
2001-02 Cohort
%Attrition
2002-03 Cohort
%Attrition
2003-04 Cohort
%Attrition


Bell College
26.6
23.2
27.7
25.6


Dundee University
24.4
35.6
30.8
34.9


Glasgow Caledonian University
19.3
17.4
23.4
22.1


Napier University
24.5
29.7
25.7
31.9


Paisley University
22.4
19.9
15.7
30.7


Robert Gordon University
26.9
30.7
34.8
42.9


Stirling University
25.1
25.5
26.3
29.8



  As the data used is a snapshot at particular dates, the rates for the last full year (in this case 2003-04) will be inflated. This is because, at the snapshot date, there will still be a proportion that haven’t completed the course but will have done so when the next set of data is available.

Nursing

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what factors contribute to the drop-out rates among student nurses.

Nicola Sturgeon: The reasons why student nurses and midwives drop out of their pre-registration programme are multi-factorial. They include wrong career choice, personal reasons, health, academic failure, and financial difficulties.

Nursing

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how the drop-out rates from nursing schools in Scotland compare with those in England in the most recent year for which comparable figures are available.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on drop-out rates is not collected centrally in England and so it is not possible to make a direct comparison with the drop-out rates in Scotland.

Nursing

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence there is that adverse financial circumstances are a significant factor in drop-out rates for student nurses.

Nicola Sturgeon: There are a number of reasons why nursing and midwifery students leave their course. There is anecdotal evidence that finance is one reason but there are also a number of other reasons including wrong career choice, health and academic failure. Detailed information about the numbers who leave because of financial reasons is not held centrally.

Planning

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any mechanism through which a landowner may appeal against a decision by inquiry reporters not to allow land to be included in a local plan.

Stewart Stevenson: The planning authority is responsible for the final content of the local plan and is not therefore obliged to accept the reporter’s recommendations. If the planning authority proposes to make modifications to the plan, derived either from the agreements reached with objectors or recommendations made by the reporter then, with the exception of minor matters which do not materially affect the policies and proposals contained in the plan, these must be publicised and the opportunity given to object to them. Objections cannot however be made at this stage to the content of the original plan.

Police

Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a review is being undertaken of police procedures for investigating allegations of rape and, if so, what the nature of that review is, when it expects it to be completed and whether it will publish its results.

Kenny MacAskill: The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) are currently conducting a review and evaluation of practices and procedures in respect of the investigation of rape and serious sexual crime, the ultimate objective being to improve attrition rates and overall service delivery. This work is being conducted in conjunction with the police’s relevant partner agencies, and no timescale has been set for its conclusion. It will be a matter for ACPOS whether to publish this review.

Public Transport

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what is considered to be untrustworthy about the three separate pieces of paper containing three significantly different figures that the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change stated on 31 May 2007 that he would publish when he thinks they are trustworthy (Official Report c. 346).

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive to what three separate pieces of paper containing three significantly different figures the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change referred on 31 May 2007 (Official Report c. 346) and when they will be published.

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive to what cost overruns in capital projects the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change referred on 31 May 2007 (Official Report c. 312); when such cost overruns were identified, and when ministers were advised of their existence.

Stewart Stevenson: Ministers were given information that showed the cost of the Stirling - Alloa - Kincardine rail link had more than doubled from the original estimates. At the same time, ministers were also given information on the transport programme as a whole. It later transpired that some of the costings were not presented to ministers on a like for like basis. On the basis of that information, ministers took the view in this context that it was important to get fresh clarity and that is why ministers have tested robustly the financial information they have inherited. Following that exercise, the Executive announced its capital investment programme for transport to Parliament on 27 June.

Public Transport

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports any form of regulation of the bus industry.

Stewart Stevenson: As part of the implementation of Moving Into the Future – An Action Plan for Buses in Scotland, we are currently working with stakeholders to ensure the effective operation of the current bus regulatory regime in Scotland.

  Under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001, transport authorities have the option of entering into statutory Quality Partnerships and developing Quality Contracts where they consider these appropriate. To support transport authorities use of these powers we are reviewing the 2001 legislation and will consider what changes may be required to simplify its operation in due course.

  Beyond this, there are no plans to re-regulate the bus industry in Scotland.

Public Transport

Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has in respect of the Bus Route Development scheme.

Stewart Stevenson: We are currently reviewing Scottish government funding for the bus industry, including the Bus Route Development Grant scheme, with bus operators and transport authorities to ensure that it is directed at improving the quality and reliability of services and at enhancing bus infrastructure.

Public Transport

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-709 by Stewart Stevenson on 19 June 2007, what dialogue has taken place with bus operators, transport authorities and other key industry stakeholders to ensure the effective operation of the current bus regime.

Stewart Stevenson: As part of the implementation of Moving into the Future – an Action Plan for Buses the Scottish Executive is looking at the best way of ensuring effective implementation of the regulatory regime. A steering group of key industry stakeholders is overseeing the Plan’s implementation. Stakeholders include representatives from Regional Transport Partnerships, local authority transport professionals, bus operators, bus users, the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency and the Scottish Traffic Commissioner.

Public Transport

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-709 by Stewart Stevenson on 19 June 2007, whether it is satisfied that the current bus regime is capable of delivering regular and reliable bus services to all communities.

Stewart Stevenson: We are committed to improving the public transport experience for passengers thereby providing maximum benefit and easing the commute. To deliver these aims we are taking forward the implementation of Moving into the Future – an Action Plan for Buses which will drive up the quality of bus services by focusing on developing effective planning, reviewing government funding and ensuring the effective implementation of the current regulatory regime in order to deliver quality bus services to our local communities.

Public Transport

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-706 by Stewart Stevenson on 19 June 2007, whether it considers that the current level of grant aided expenditure provided to Glasgow City Council to allow it to provide socially necessary bus services is sufficient.

Stewart Stevenson: Supported Bus Services are currently funded through the core local government finance settlement. The Grant Aided Expenditure (GAE) shares used to distribute the support for bus services is calculated using the population figures of each local authority in Scotland. GAE is neither a budget nor a spending target and it is for local authorities themselves to decide how they allocate their total resources to meet their own local needs and priorities.

  In this case it is a matter for Glasgow City Council to decide how much it wishes to spend on socially necessary bus services within its area.

  As part of the implementation of Moving into the Future – an Action Plan for Buses the Scottish Executive is reviewing government funding to ensure it is directed at improving the quality and reliability of services.

Public Transport

Hugh O'Donnell (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has given Transport Scotland with regard to the provision of bus services by First Bus in the Falkirk area.

Stewart Stevenson: The provision of bus services in the Falkirk area is not a matter for Transport Scotland and no guidance has been issued in this regard by the Scottish Executive. It is the responsibility of the Traffic Commissioner for the Scottish Traffic Area to ensure that bus operators comply with the terms of their local bus service registrations.

Rail Network

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with First Scotrail in relation to increasing services on the Ayr to Glasgow route.

Stewart Stevenson: We have had no discussions with First ScotRail in relation to increasing services on the Ayr to Glasgow route.

Rail Network

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what importance it places on ensuring adequate car parking facilities at train stations on the Ayr to Glasgow route.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Executive has recognised the importance of providing more spaces at stations where capacity is regularly exceeded. Transport Scotland, is working with rail industry partners to identify and deliver car park expansion opportunities across the country. Executive funding was provided in 2006-07 for five "quick win" projects and this has seen an expansion at Glengarnock station where First ScotRail has delivered 48 extra spaces.

Roads

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the cost of eliminating any backlog of trunk road maintenance.

Stewart Stevenson: The report by Auditor General for Scotland entitled Scottish Executive: an overview of the performance of transport in Scotland published in September 2006 identified that £325 million may be needed to tackle the backlog on trunk road maintenance.

  This report can be found on the Audit Scotland website at http://www.audit-scotland.gov.uk.

Schools

Hugh O'Donnell (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to enforce parking exclusion zones around schools.

Stewart Stevenson: Enforcement of parking restrictions around schools is primarily an operational matter for the police except in areas where decriminalised parking enforcement has been introduced. Enforcement would then be the responsibility of parking attendants employed by the local authority.

Transport

Stuart McMillan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding increasing security at seaports around the Scottish coast and what action has been taken on the matter.

Kenny MacAskill: There is regular contact with the UK Government at both ministerial and official level on a range of security issues, including the security of sea ports.

  The police, in partnership with the UK Border and Immigration Agency and HM Revenue and Customs, work with the port operators to ensure that the security at sea ports in Scotland is appropriate to the local circumstances.

Waste Management

Bill Wilson (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current status is of the area waste plan for the west of Scotland and, in particular, whether (a) the plan is being implemented and (b) any final decision has been taken on where the incineration facilities will be situated.

Richard Lochhead: Annual reports on the implementation of (1) Glasgow and Clyde Valley (2) Argyll and Bute and (3) Dumfries and Galloway Area Waste Plans are available at:  http://www.sepa.org.uk/nws/guidance/annual_reports0506/index.htm .

  The previous administration announced indicative funding for local authorities for residual waste treatment infrastructure in March 2007. We are considering our position on this. No decisions have been taken on the location of any facilities following this announcement. Location of waste management facilities is a matter for the relevant planning authorities.

Waste Management

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what systems are in place to ensure that the reuse of white goods and electrical items is prioritised when the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive regulations are implemented in July 2007 and how they will be monitored to ensure that as many white goods as possible are reused for local social and economic benefit.

Richard Lochhead: The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations 2006 place an obligation on producers to provide information on the reuse of their products when placing them on the market; place an obligation on compliance schemes established by producers to fulfil their responsibilities to prioritise the reuse of whole appliances, and require persons collecting or transporting WEEE to do so in such as way as to optimise the reuse and recycling of that equipment. Failure to do so in each case is an offence.

  The regulations also provide for the systems by which the reuse obligation is discharged. That is, before a compliance scheme can operate it must obtain the approval of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to its operational plan. That plan must include information on how the scheme will prioritise the reuse of whole appliances and detail the relationships the compliance scheme will develop with those carrying out reuse activities, including making use of the existing voluntary and community sector infrastructure. Additionally, a compliance scheme is required to keep records of the number of items of WEEE that are reused as a whole appliance and to provide that information to SEPA.

  The regulations are augmented by practical guidance to operators that contains a chapter on reuse of whole appliances. That guidance may be downloaded from http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/file38209.pdf.

  Monitoring compliance with the regulations is a matter for SEPA.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Scottish Commission for Human Rights

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body when the Scottish Commission for Human Rights is likely to become operational.

Mike Pringle: The Selection Panel established under Standing Orders to recruit the chair of the Commission aim to nominate the successful candidate to the Parliament in the autumn. Thereafter, the SPCB shall commence the recruitment of the Commission members aiming to complete this process by February 2008.